Gas Central Heating

Mindmodic

I have just moved into a property with gas central heating, with some kind of thermal storage system (boilermate 2000).

In my previous property there was no gas, and there was just an electric heater for the lounge, and with the doors shut that was sufficient. My washing machine heated water itself and so did the shower, so the immersion boiler was never turned on, and if I needed to do washing up I would just boil the kettle. This way even in winter months I wasn't paying more than £30 a month.

Now I am in this new property, it seems that the water in the tank/thermal storage is heated throughout the day, and the boiler kicks in whenever it goes below a certain temperature. I feel it is rather inefficient to keep water heated all day when I am only needing the heating/hot water less than 7 hours a day, as I don't have it on when I'm sleeping.

There is a timer on the thermal storage, but that is only in connection with the heating, and the heating won't come on anyway if the thermostat is turned to its minimum.

Is it safe just to turn the boiler and the thermal storage off before I leave the house and before I go to bed every day? I suspect if I do this the heating and the hot water won't be so instant, but I think that is ok compared to the extra fuel and expense that will be incurred otherwise.

I was considering getting an electric shower installed, so when the weather is warmer I don't have to have the system on at all.

Wywth

Mindmodic wrote: »

I have just moved into a property with gas central heating, with some kind of thermal storage system (boilermate 2000).

In my previous property there was no gas, and there was just an electric heater for the lounge, and with the doors shut that was sufficient. My washing machine heated water itself and so did the shower, so the immersion boiler was never turned on, and if I needed to do washing up I would just boil the kettle. This way even in winter months I wasn't paying more than £30 a month.

Now I am in this new property, it seems that the water in the tank/thermal storage is heated throughout the day, and the boiler kicks in whenever it goes below a certain temperature. I feel it is rather inefficient to keep water heated all day when I am only needing the heating/hot water less than 7 hours a day, as I don't have it on when I'm sleeping.

There is a timer on the thermal storage, but that is only in connection with the heating, and the heating won't come on anyway if the thermostat is turned to its minimum.

Is it safe just to turn the boiler and the thermal storage off before I leave the house and before I go to bed every day? I suspect if I do this the heating and the hot water won't be so instant, but I think that is ok compared to the extra fuel and expense that will be incurred otherwise.

I was considering getting an electric shower installed, so when the weather is warmer I don't have to have the system on at all.

Yes it is entirely safe to to turn the boiler off whenever you want.

But I don't understand why you would not wish to follow the manufacturers recommendations in how to get the best out of your heating system?

Perhaps if you really don't want to, you should get the existing heating system ripped out and replaced with a heating system that works the way you want it to.

Cardew

A modern well insulated Hot Water tank is tested to a British Standard and with a full tank of water, at a very high 65C temperature, loses around 2kWh in 24 hours - around 8 pence. In practice as the water won't be at 65C all the time so the losses will be less.

In any case, the heat escaping from the tank isn't really lost as it warms the fabric of the house.

Mindmodic

Cardew wrote: »

A modern well insulated Hot Water tank is tested to a British Standard and with a full tank of water, at a very high 65C temperature, loses around 2kWh in 24 hours - around 8 pence. In practice as the water won't be at 65C all the time so the losses will be less.

In any case, the heat escaping from the tank isn't really lost as it warms the fabric of the house.

So to maintain this temperature, only 2kWh extra energy would be used, than if I was to turn it on and off when I am not in the house?

The heat escaping is a loss if I am at work.

Mindmodic

Wywth wrote: »

Yes it is entirely safe to to turn the boiler off whenever you want.

But I don't understand why you would not wish to follow the manufacturers recommendations in how to get the best out of your heating system?

Perhaps if you really don't want to, you should get the existing heating system ripped out and replaced with a heating system that works the way you want it to.

Well, I didn't get the system fitted. I can't afford to change it. I don't want to waste energy and money, regardless of the capabilities of the system.

Since it uses a smaller boiler, as the heat is accumulated over time in the thermal storage, if I was to only turn it on when I needed it either for water or heating, would you say it would take a long time to start?

southcoastrgi

the water in your cylinder is heated by the boiler, the heat loss will be low as it's well insulated (feel the outside of the cylinder), when the heating comes on then all the water in the cylinder goes straight to your rads meaning they heat up very quickly, if you let the cylinder go cold not only will you have to heat the water in the rads but also all the water in the cylinder meaning not only will the rads take an age to heat up but you won't have hot water until the cylinder is heated back up.

Wywth

Mindmodic wrote: »

Well, I didn't get the system fitted. I can't afford to change it. I don't want to waste energy and money, regardless of the capabilities of the system.

Then use it strictly in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.

Mindmodic wrote: »

Since it uses a smaller boiler, as the heat is accumulated over time in the thermal storage, if I was to only turn it on when I needed it either for water or heating, would you say it would take a long time to start?

What do you think? :cool: